Phillies sign Kendrick to two-year deal

Matt Gelb

Posted:
Sunday, February 19, 2012, 10:32 AM

CLEARWATER, Fla. — On the day spring training begins, Kyle Kendrick has a new contract.

The Phillies have signed the righthander to a two-year, $7.5 million deal. The contract is for 2012 and 2013. It supersedes the previous one-year, $3.585 million deal the two sides reached earlier this offseason to avoid arbitration.

The deal leaves Kendrick with one remaining arbitration year in 2014. He has four years of arbitration as a Super 2 player.

If anything, the deal allows the Phillies to budget for a strict number. Kendrick was scheduled to earn a $1.4 million raise from 2011 to 2012. This deal prevents a similar raise in 2013 through the arbitration process. Now Kendrick, for budgetary purposes is locked into an AAV (annual average value) of $3.75 million.